Cocktail of the Week: The Patiala Peg Cocktail – How to Make It
Legend claims that during 1920, the Maharaja of Patiala, was adamant that his cricket team would succeed over a touring English squad. To secure an advantage, he hosted a lavish party on the eve of the match, at which he served his guests the famous Patiala pegs. These were famously large four-finger whisky servings, traditionally poured from pinky to forefinger. Predictably, the English players partook excessively, leaving them very the worse for wear and, consequently, beaten the next day. In this way, the legend of the Patiala peg came to be.
This Punjabi variation of old fashioned draws inspiration from the Maharaja's beverage. At the restaurant, we present it from a custom-made large-format bottle, but we've adjusted the instructions to make it more suitable for a home kitchen.
Patiala Peg
Yields 1 litre, to serve 10-12 drinks.
You Will Need
- 725g blended Scotch
- 130g sugar syrup (1:1)
- 6g Angostura aromatic bitters (approximately 1⅓ tsp)
- 1g orange-flavoured bitters (approximately ⅕ tsp)
- A dash of salt
- 2g xanthan gum
Preparation
Place all the ingredients in a sizeable jug. Pour in 130g water, stir thoroughly, then place it in the fridge. It can be stored for up to 21 days.
When ready to drink, pour approximately 90ml of the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass containing ice (traditionally one large cube). Drink promptly. To honour tradition, you could measure it in by hand instead.
